CharlieGodammits' latest grin is attacking the mail slot next to the front door at random times throughout the day and evening. I mean it, that silly fucker can be dead-ass asleep in the middle of the floor or getting his ass scratched and all of a sudden he'll jam the mail slot.
I don't know if it's because he heard something outside and seeing as most of the time when somebody comes up the porch they stick something through the slot, or if he's trying to ambush something or just hoping to get lucky with a random attack.
I gotta admit, he does keep me guessing as to what he's going to come up with next, and no, nothing he does surprises me - not too much - anymore.

Lisa loves to read trashy romance novels, burns through one or more a day. The first time we went to the library, she checked out 24 books - maybe I should say I checked out 24 trashy romance novels, she checked out 3 books on militias and domestic terrorists just to fuck with the librarian.
When we went back Thursday evening so she could restock, we lugged all those books back in and when folks would do a double take I would explain with a straight face that we made it into town only once a month.

Today I was walking through the living room while she was putting together some lunch and saw this on the coffee table:

﻿

Whoa, whoa WHOA!!!! What the fuck is this? OH HELL NO!!!!!
I was almost having a seizure here. I couldn't even begin to understand how her mind was working on this one. Seriously, bring a muslim book in the house? On the property?
But after I flipped it over and read the synopsis on the back I saw there wasn't a fucking thing about islam in there, it was just another one of her beloved trashy romance novels so I gave her my approval to read it after I dickslapped the crescent moon and rubbed bacon grease on it.

South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley isn't retreating from her decision to keep the Confederate flag atop the north end of the Statehouse in Columbia despite complaints from the NAACP, whose president this week said the ethnic minority governor is a "contradiction" for allowing the flag to fly.Speaking to a crowd at an NAACP national conference in Los Angeles on Monday, NAACP President Benjamin Jealous attempted to shame Haley into removing the flag by comparing African American slavery to oppression Haley's ancestors in India faced under British rule."Perhaps one of the most perplexing examples of the contradictions of this moment in history is that Nikki Haley, South Carolina's first governor of color, continues to fly the Confederate flag in front of her state's capitol. Given the similarities between our struggles to end slavery and segregation, and her ancestors' struggle to end British colonialism and oppression in India, my question to Governor Haley is one that Dr. King often asked himself: 'What would Gandhi do?'" Jealous said.

The flag has been at the north end of the Statehouse since 2000. It was moved there after legislation passed in response to protests and an NAACP boycott of the state over the flag's position atop the dome of the Statehouse, where it was placed in 1962 by an all-white South Carolina Legislature.

Haley was born in South Carolina, and her spokesman said the decision lies with the people of the Palmetto State."More than a decade ago, under the leadership of a Democratic governor, South Carolinians Republican and Democrat, black and white, came to a compromise position on the Confederate flag," said Haley press secretary, Rob Godfrey."Many people were uncomfortable with that compromise, but it addressed a sensitive subject in a way that South Carolina as a whole could accept. We don't expect people from outside of the state to understand that dynamic, but revisiting that issue is not part of the governor's agenda," Godfrey said.The NAACP boycott remains in place as a protest to the decision to keep the flag beside a monument honoring fallen Confederate soldiers. Opponents say the flag should be removed completely from Statehouse grounds because it represents slavery and white supremacy. The National Collegiate Athletic Association has also refused to hold any tournaments in the state since 2001, as long as the Confederate flag continues to fly there.But others say the flag is a reminder of an important part of South Carolina's history, not to mention that it doesn't violate any laws."There is nothing more sacred in the country than the First Amendment. If someone wants to raise that flag then they have the First Amendment right to do so," said attorney Richard Roth of The Roth Law Firm, PLLC in New York City. Roth, who has argued several First Amendment cases before the federal courts, noted that South Carolina is the only state with any legal limitation on flying the Confederate flag. "It may not be good for business and it may not be good for a general character and reputation, but legally you have every right to fly any flag," said Roth.

Friday, July 29, 2011

When I first saw this picture I'd have sworn that was our very own CharlieGodammit. He's almost a dead ringer except for CGD's a little bigger and he has more distinct facial markings and an ear that won't stand up.

LAGUNA WOODS, Calif. (AP) — On the shady paths of this sprawling Southern California retirement community, neighbors have been told to carry sticks.

The menace is a group of emboldened coyotes who have attacked leashed pets, killing two dogs in the last week and dragging down pet owners who rushed to their rescue.

On Thursday, the city of Laguna Woods voted to take matters into its own hands by authorizing professional exterminators or animal control experts who obtain permits to shoot the wild animals. Officials promptly issued a permit to one such firm, which is required to notify law enforcement within 10 minutes if any shots are fired, said Orange County Sheriff's Lt. Steve Doan.

The city — a network of gated retirement communities shrouded in trees — already has tried other tactics to round up the pack of roughly seven animals who, unlike most coyotes, don't scatter at the sight of humans.

Officials used pepper spray to disrupt trails and dens. Tranquilizer guns and traps were also utilized. But most of the coyotes have eluded capture.

"We just have not been able to catch the other four and the incidents just seem to be escalating," City Manager Leslie Keane said.

Coyotes are often a problem in the vast suburbs in Southern California where homes are built right up to creeks and foothills where the animals roam. But coyotes are perfectly content to live in urban environments where the food supply outstrips that of the wild — garbage, tree fruit, pet food and pets offer ample grub, said Kevin Brennan, a wildlife biologist with California's Department of Fish and Game.

Laguna Woods is unique because the city made up of retirees has a median age of 77 — which has local officials concerned that such a tussle could take a bigger toll.
But confrontations between coyotes and suburbanites aren't new. Jurisdictions including Riverside and the county of San Bernardino also have hired private firms to trap or shoot the animals when preventative measures to keep them out have failed, Brennan said.
"What happens is familiarity breeds contempt," he said, "The longer coyotes hang around people, they lose their fear and they start becoming more bold."
"Basically you should never allow a coyote to feel comfortable around your home. You should always scare it off."
In Laguna Woods, two women were injured in the last week when they were knocked over after coyotes pulled on leashes to maul their small pet dogs. City officials said they don't want to wait until someone gets attacked by a coyote to take action and state authorities only get involved when there an imminent threat to public safety.
One of the challenges is many retirees have smaller pets who keep them company. In the absence of their now-grown children, the dogs and cats often become family and are attractive to coyotes.
Rosemary Mlakar, an 81-year-old retired teaching assistant, said she was sad to learn a coyote had run off with one of two ducks that frequented a grassy area near where she lives. She said has noticed a change in her neighbors, too.
"I am concerned about going and taking walks," Mlakar said. "I don't see people walking their dogs like I did every morning."

But some in the community don't want to see the animals shot. Organizations like People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and some Laguna Woods residents have said the city could review other options before reaching for a gun.

"I love animals and coyotes are no exception," 61-year-old resident Bj Garnaus was quoted as saying in the Orange County Register.

Officials say the problem likely starts in communities where residents didn't take measures to keep coyotes away before they got aggressive. Local officials have found leftover meatloaf and mashed potatoes left outside, leading them to believe residents were feeding the wild animals, Keane said.

That would lure coyotes to retirees' homes instead of shooing them away.

Mayor Bert Hack said most coyotes run off when they see people. He said he recently spotted one take off down the street with a cat in its mouth.

"We have dealt with this — it waxes and it wanes," Hack said. "But when people get hurt, you tend to want to do something about it."

Distillery to make South Carolina's first legal moonshine
CHARLESTON, South Carolina (Reuters) - Two entrepreneurs are taking advantage of South Carolina's new micro-distillery laws to make traditional moonshine whiskey legally in the state for the first time.

The Dark Corner Distillery will open next month in Greenville, where engineer Joe Fenten and longtime home beer brewer Richard Wenger will produce and sell small batches of 100-proof moonshine from a custom-made copper still.

The distillery, housed in a 1925 building, will also include a tasting bar and a museum dedicated to the history of the Dark Corner, the local mountains that were once full of moonshiners, feud and mayhem, Fenten, 27, told Reuters.

The area was settled, along with the nearby Smoky Mountains of Tennessee and Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, by Scots, Irish and Welsh who migrated down through the Appalachian mountain chain from Pennsylvania in the 1700s.

"They thought it was their inalienable, God-given right to make whiskey," said Fenten, a Dark Corner native. "It was a hard life. If you could make an extra 10 cents more for a gallon of whiskey than you could for a bushel of corn, then why not?"

Moonshine traditionally was the term used to describe illegally distilled corn whiskey often made covertly by the light of the moon. The product made at the new distillery will be un-aged corn whiskey, but will be taxed and regulated.

From the article:The time-honored initiation into working the family farm could one day be a thing of the past, with discussions underway in Washington to require operators of farm equipment to have a commercial driver's license, or CDL.Read the rest of the article here at Green Mountains Homesteading

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There's a lot at stake here, folks. Not just in increased prices at the store but especially in the government digging their claws in just a little bit deeper.

A real woman is a man’s best friend. She will never stand him up and never let him down.
She will reassure him when he feels insecure and comfort him after a bad day.
She will inspire him to do things he never thought he could do; to live without fear and forget regret.
She will enable him to express his deepest emotions and give in to his most intimate desires.
She will make sure he always feels as though he’s the most handsome man in the room and will enable him to be the most confident, sexy, seductive and invincible…No wait……..Sorry.I’m thinking of whiskey. It’s whiskey that does all that shit.Never mind.

The analogy goes like this:
The Dhimmicrat Congress, having reached the legal limit of it’s spending capabilities and demanding a raise of the debt ceiling is like your teenage son maxxing out the credit card you gave him and now is asking for an increase in his credit limit. Since you’ve raised the limit so many times and he’s maxxed it each and every time, you’re getting a little peeved that he can’t grasp the concept of limiting his purchases.

That’s purdy close, but there’s more to it.

Your son didn’t just charge up the card, he managed to talk several of your neighbors into loaning him even more money to blow – more money than you will earn in a lifetime. And he fully expects to pay back those loans with his credit card.
Those neighbors that he owes money to? They hate your guts.

Your son has been boarding outlaws and hoodlums in your basement. He’s feeding them, clothing them and providing them entertainment, drugs and hookers. He’s using your money to support these people, in your own home, that also hate your guts.

Your son has been buying expensive, custom-built guns and giving them to another set of your neighbors. These particular neighbors hate your guts, and have actually assaulted you personally in the past on multiple occasions. Now they have some really cool weaponry to use on you – that you paid for.

Your son has hired someone to control what you can and cannot eat.
Your son has hired someone to control what you drive.
Your son has hired someone to control what you listen to on the radio.
Your son has hired someone to steal all your personal guns.
Your son has hired someone to control all those other controllers.
And each and every one of those controllers hate your guts.

Your son is now demanding that if you can’t afford extra credit card payments, you get another job. Although your son has never had a job of his own and can’t even spell the word, he’s convinced that by spending more of your money he can create some jobs for you. You will be able to work for him. He’ll pay you with your own money so you can afford to raise his credit card limit. Just to make sure that plan works smoothly he’s also subsidizing a union for you to join as his employee. The union will make sure your son treats you right because you’re paying them too. And of course, they’re giving some of that money to your son for landing them the contract.

One day a father gets out of work and on his way home he suddenly remembers that it's his daughter's birthday. He pulls over to a Toy Shop and asks the sales person, "How much for one of those Barbie's in the display window?" The salesperson answers, "Which one do you mean, Sir? We have: Work Out Barbie for $19.95, Shopping Barbie for $19.95, Beach Barbie for $19.95, Disco Barbie for $19.95, Ballerina Barbie for $19.95, Astronaut Barbie for $19.95, Skater Barbie for $19.95, and Divorced Barbie for $265.95."
The amazed father asks: "It's what?! Why is the Divorced Barbie $265.95 and the others only $19.95?"
The annoyed salesperson rolls her eyes, sighs, and answers: "Sir..., Divorced Barbie comes with: Ken's Car, Ken's House, Ken's Boat, Ken's Furniture, Ken's Computer, and one of Ken's Friends."

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Obama named his longtime friend and supporter GE chief Jeffrey Immelt to head his economic recovery advisory panel in January. (LA Times)
The head of Barack Obama’s Economic Advisory Panel is moving his business to China.Bloomberg reported:

General Electric Co. (GE)’s health-care unit, the world’s biggest maker of medical-imaging machines, is moving the headquarters of its 115-year-old X-ray business to Beijing to tap growth in China.
“A handful” of top managers will move to the Chinese capital and there won’t be any job cuts, Anne LeGrand, vice president and general manager of X-ray for GE Healthcare, said in an interview. The headquarters will move from Waukesha, Wisconsin, amid a broader parent-company plan to invest about $2 billion across China, including opening six “customer innovation” and development centers.
The move follows the introduction earlier this year of GE Healthcare’s “Spring Wind” initiative to develop and distribute medical products and services in China, GE said in a statement today. More than 20 percent of the X-ray unit’s new products will be developed in China, LeGrand said.

Well, we know the move was not based on taxes… GE didn’t pay any taxes last year. The company reported worldwide profits of $14.2 billion, and said $5.1 billion of the total came from its operations in the United States.
But that didn’t stop the company from moving business to China.
- The Gateway Pundit

Judicial Watch took the lead in exposing former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-CA) abuse of military aircraft. The massive amount of press coverage resulting from our investigation not only led to a great deal of embarrassment for Pelosi, but it also prompted current House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) to announce he would fly commercial between his home district and Washington, DC. Unfortunately, however, according to a new batch of documents we recently uncovered from the United States Air Force, the abuse of military resources continued in 2010, not only by Pelosi, but by other members of Congress as well.
The records, which include flight manifests, expense summaries, copies of receipts and Congressional correspondence, detail a number of trips made by Speaker Pelosi and other Members of Congress in 2010, including:
Read the rest of the story here at BigGovernment

Monday, July 25, 2011

The House is currently considering a bill that would cede control of America’s coastlines to DHS.
Under the proposed National Security and Federal Lands Protection Act, the Secretary of the Interior would forfeit authority of all public coast lands to the Secretary of Homeland Security, whenever the DHS chief sees fit. The bill would also allow DHS to take control of lands located along the Canadian and Mexican borders. DHS would be empowered to freely construct roads and fences, deploy patrol vehicles, and set up “monitoring equipment” on these lands. Within 100 miles of a coastline or international border, DHS would also have the power to waive all environmental regulations including the Clean Air Act, the Safe Drinking Water Act, and the Coastal Zone Management Act.
The bill was introduced in April by Representative Rob Bishop (R – Utah) and has been referred to the House Committees on Natural Resources, Agriculture and Homeland Security.
According to the bill, its goal is to “prohibit the Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture from taking action on public lands which impede border security on such lands, and for other purposes.”
Several lawmakers and environmental groups are already opposing the bill.
Jane Danowitz, the director of U.S. public lands for the Pew Environment Group, said, “The proposed legislation would give unprecedented authority to a single federal agency to destroy wildlife habitat and wetlands, impair downstream water quality and restrict activities such as hunting, fishing and grazing. It would leave Congress and the public without a voice, even though at stake are hundreds of popular destinations.”
The bill would allow DHS to waive environmental laws across large swaths of areas like the entire Alaskan border, all of Hawaii, and all of Florida. In addition DHS could gain control of national parks like the Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico, Acadia National Park in Maine, and Mount Rainer National Park in Washington.Homeland Security Newswire

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama is asking Hispanic activists to build a movement outside Washington to push for overhauling immigration, saying he can't do it by himself and Republicans aren't playing along.
He said he remains committed to his unfulfilled promise to rewrite the nation's immigration laws, but offered no timelines as he spoke Monday at the annual conference of a major Hispanic civil rights organization, the National Council of La Raza.
Obama faced a roomful of activists eager for him to do more. Speaking about the high number of deportations that are troubling the Latino community, Obama said he had to enforce the laws that exist and couldn't change them by himself.
The crowd disagreed and shouted, "Yes you can, Yes you can!"

All in all, I'm thinking he looks pretty damned healthy for somebody that survived a bear attack.

Personally, my rule of thumb is to stay as far away as possible from shit that can bite me. It seems to have worked pretty well so far - aside from the possum incident, about the only thing that's ever attacked me when I was in the woods was a mean ol' range bull that I stumbled across in a thicket of manzanita.

NASHVILLE, Tenn (Reuters) - Pastor Joe Nelms likely had folks gathered at the NASCAR Federated Auto Parts 300 race looking around for his "smokin' hot wife," after he thanked God for her during his pre-race invocation.

Nelms, pastor of Family Baptist Church in nearby Lebanon, Tennessee, borrowed a little bit from the film "Talladega Nights" and also from NASCAR legend Darrell Waltrip in his prayer before the weekend race.

He thanked God for such things as "these mighty machines that you've brought before us," going on to cite the wonders of Dodges and Toyotas and Fords.

Prayerful thanks then were directed to, among other things,

"Sunoco Racing Fuel and Goodyear tires that bring performance and power to the track."

But it was when he got to his family that he had fans and drivers unsuccessfully holding back laughter.

"Lord I want to thank you for my smokin' hot wife tonight, Lisa, my two children, Eli and Emma, or as we like to call them the Little E's."

But he wasn't done. He prayed and blessed the drivers and said, "may they put on a performance worthy of this great track."

Sunday, July 24, 2011

(Reuters) - Gold rose to fresh record high on Monday as talks over lifting the debt ceiling appeared to be stalling just days before the August 2 deadline, raising the prospect of a debt default.
Spot gold climbed as high as $1,622.49 an ounce versus Friday's high of $1,607.01 and the previous record of $1,609.51 before easing back to $1,614.66 by 0007 GMT, Reuters data showed.President Barack Obama and congressional leaders struggled late on Sunday to break a partisan deadlock on a budget deal and bullion dealers said investors were ditching stocks in favor of safe haven assets, such as gold, until the outcome of talks become clearer.A slightly weaker U.S. dollar at the start of early trading in Asia gave gold its initial lift, though bullion continued to firm even as the greenback later stabilized, according to bullion dealers."Gold is moving on its own," a dealer said.U.S. gold also hit a fresh record high at $1,624.30 an ounce.

About Me

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Inspirations

"The Spartans do not inquire how many the enemy are, but where they are." AGIS II 427 B.C.

"No, no, I've got 'em right where I want 'em - surrounded from the inside." -- Mad Dog Shriver when told to break up his recon team and evade, that he was about to be overrun by North Vietnamese Regulars.

“The duty of a patriot is to protect his country from its government.” - Thomas Paine

"The policy of the American government is to leave their citizens free, neither restraining nor aiding them in their pursuits." - Thomas Jefferson

"The world don't owe you a living, Boy." - Pops

The American Patriot

Survivalists, Preppers, Three Percenters and folks that just want to be left alone